A standard automobile heating, ventilating and air condition (HVAC) system heats by circulating air through a heater core where that air is put in a heat exchange relationship with coolant circulated from the motor vehicle engine. After the motor vehicle has been at rest in low temperature conditions for an extended period of time, the engine coolant cools to the ambient temperature and requires a substantial amount of time before the coolant heats sufficiently to provide heat to the air being circulated by the HVAC system. Further, the warmed air must first warm the ducts and blend with all the cold air in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle before providing a significant warming sensation to the motor vehicle occupants. This delay can lead to occupant dissatisfaction.
While a motor vehicle may be equipped with positive temperature coefficient (PTC), heaters which under many conditions will reach air warming temperatures prior to engine coolant, such heaters still require time to heat the air in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle. Additionally it should be appreciated that inefficiencies are currently built into combustion engines to meet climate targets (e.g. spark retard) affecting fuel economy. Further, the warming of air in cold situations in electric vehicles requires using some of the range to heat the vehicle.
This document relates to a new and improved radiant heating system for a motor vehicle that addresses and solves these issues.